Ok I decided on a calorie goal. Thanks to all you who commented on my post. I feel less overwhelmed and feel good about my goal. I am going to go for 1700 calories a day.

Since I havent counted calories successfully before, I plan to keep that as my calorie goal for two whole weeks before I get to try to tweak it. I have no idea what is really going to work. But I figure that without a decent trial period I shouldn't let myself get all crazy and try to change it before I give it a chance.

When I was beginning to lose weight last summer, I ate about 1400-1500 on most days, but if I worked out or ran for more than, say, an hour, I would add calories (a serving of protein, then a carb, as needed, up to 300 calories for, say, two hours of moderate to intense workout). I kind of let my body tell me how much to add. But once I started running more than about 9 miles, my body wasn't an accurate indicator, because the feeling of depletion often wouldn't show up until the next day. That's when I got the Fitbit, and that really helped.

I see I neglected to update yesterday -- it ended up 1541 calories logged, 1954 calories burned, for a deficit of 413. Not bad for being home all day, I guess. I have a 3202 calorie deficit over the last 6 days, avg. 533, which is my goal, so I'm right on target.

Queen Sarah -- how do you figure your calorie deficit? Is it just cals burned minus cals consumed? How do you know how many cals you've burned? I guess I'm asking which site do you use for that info. lol Thx.

Was hungry when I went to bed last night but didn't eat. Woke up at 5am w/a horrible, horrible sinus headache AND starving hungry. Waited until 9am to eat and am starving hungry right now and it's only 11:30am.

Sum38 -- no and likely won't, mostly because I'm not fixing/buying separate food for myself. I usually have more protein at b-fast . . .usually a 1 egg/2 white omelet . . . which holds me for several hours. Didn't have time today and went with the cereal and fruit. That almost never sticks with me. Had I eaten some cheese with it I probably wouldn't have gotten so hungry so soon.

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^^ Spiney Norman!

Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands
and then eat just one of those pieces.